Friends perplexed over slaying of El Rio teen

A Ventura County sheriff's deputy asks a resident to stay back on Stroube Street in El Rio after a shooting victim was found in the street Wednesday.

Ventura County Star

A memorial for Josue Lopez, 16, sits Thursday where he was fatally shot the day before in El Rio.

Ventura County Star

Authorities on Thursday identified a 16-year-old boy killed the day before in El Rio as they continued to search for the two people who gunned him down in broad daylight.

Josue Lopez, who apparently lived in the area and attended Rio Mesa High School last school year, was shot about 4 p.m. Wednesday at East Stroube and Alvarado streets.

The two men suspected of killing him and then fleeing in an SUV remained at large Thursday, and a motive for the slaying remained unclear.

Family members could not be reached for comment Thursday, but several friends said they did not know why anyone would want to kill Lopez and that the shooting seemed random. They said they did not think he was involved in gangs.

Timothy Medina, 19, of El Rio said he was at work when he heard about the shooting and went to the scene, which is across the street from the Eternal Life Christian Center and had a makeshift memorial of flowers on Thursday.

"I saw him grow up. He was like a little brother to me," Medina said Thursday. "I couldn't believe that happened to him. It feels like it's a dream."

Roberto Estrada, 17, said he had known Lopez since the seventh grade and they were friends who attended Rio Mesa High last school year.

"Mainly I'm just in shock. I just talked to him two days ago," Estrada said. "He was a really good friend and someone I could always count on."

The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy Friday to determine the exact cause of death.

Sheriff's officials said two men shot the boy after an exchange of words on the street and got into an older tan SUV, either a Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC Yukon that could have had other passengers. The vehicle headed south on Alvarado toward Highway 101, officials said.

Deputies found the victim lying in the street, and rescue personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

The men were described as Hispanic, 5 feet 5 to 7 inches, and in their late teens or early 20s. One had a stocky build and shaved head and wore a white sweatshirt and khaki pants, authorities said. The other was thin, with short dark hair, a dark complexion, a black sweatshirt and blue pants.

Descriptions of the incident, vehicle and men were provided by witnesses, but authorities need more help, said Sgt. Eric Buschow, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.

"We're looking for the public's help in hopefully narrowing down the search for the vehicle," Buschow said Thursday. "At that time of day, people are coming home from work. It was just a horrible situation."

Buschow said the incident did not appear to be gang-related, but officials don't know for sure.

"Part of the investigation is determining why — what was the reason for these people shooting that individual?" he said.

Oxnard police were immediately notified after the shooting and assisted in the initial search. Detective Luis McArthur, a spokesman for Oxnard police, said homicide detectives are in contact with sheriff's investigators and will provide help as needed.

El Rio has seen three fatal shootings since 2008, one of which involved a 13-year-old boy. It was Ventura County's fifth homicide of 2013.

Natalie Rose, who works for the local Parents of Murdered Children chapter, said she heard about the shooting while at a bimonthly meeting for family members of homicide victims.

"The reaction is always the same — our hearts fall," Rose said. "It brings parents back to what they had to deal with."

Anyone in the area at the time of the shooting or who saw the suspect vehicle should call Sgt. Cary Peterson at 384-4744, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-222-TIPS. Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and criminal complaint.